Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters

Jon Hall

Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters examines the political and personal negotiations that Cicero undertakes in the letters exchanged with other powerful men of the Late Roman Republic, such as Caesar, Pompey and Mark Antony. Drawing upon sociolinguistic theories of politeness, the book explores the distinctive conventions of epistolary courtesy that shaped formal interaction among men of the Roman elite.

Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters

Jon Hall

Description

Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters presents a fresh examination of the letters exchanged between Cicero and correspondents, such as Pompey, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony during the final turbulent decades of the Roman Republic. Drawing upon sociolinguistic theories of politeness, it argues that formal relationships between powerful members of the elite were constrained by distinct conventions of courtesy and etiquette. By examining in detail these linguistic conventions of politeness, Jon Hall presents new insights into the social manners that shaped aristocratic relationships.

The book begins with a discussion of the role of letter-writing within the Roman aristocracy and the use of linguistic politeness to convey respect to fellow members of
the elite. Hall then analyzes the deployment of conventionalized expressions of affection and goodwill to cultivate alliances with ambitious rivals and the diplomatic exploitation of "polite fictions" at times of political tension. The book also explores the strategies of politeness employed by Cicero and his correspondents when making requests and dispensing advice, and when engaging in epistolary disagreements. (His exchanges with Appius Claudius Pulcher, Munatius Plancus, and Mark Antony receive particular emphasis.) Its detailed analysis of specific letters places the reader at the very heart of Late Republican political negotiations and provides a new critical approach to Latin epistolography.

Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters

Jon Hall

Table of Contents

AbbreviationsNote on Texts and TranslationsIntroduction1. Doing Aristocratic Business2. From Polite Fictions to Hypocrisy3. Redressive Politeness4. Politeness in Epistolary Conflict5. Politeness and Political NegotiationConclusionAppendix: Common Strategies Used in Affiliative Politeness and the Politeness of RespectNotesBibliographyIndex LocorumGeneral Index

Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters

Jon Hall

Reviews and Awards

"This book was a true pleasure to read. Hall's confident and somewhat easygoing academic style betrays not only a comfortable ownership of the sizable Ciceronian corpus but also a true enthusiasm for his project and a deep respect for the author at its center. [Hall] takes an entirely novel approach to both Cicero's letters and the "problem" of Late Republican literary and political politeness, and shows us why we should care. And we should." --Classical World

"This book is an important addition to our understanding of Cicero's letters, and anyone working in this period will benefit from Hall's fresh approach." --New England Classical Journal

"He considers the politeness of respect, affiliative politeness, and redressive politeness, and at the same time distinguishes between politeness and hypocrisy. Discussing the role of letter writing among aristocrats, the author looks at how and why the writers present themselves as they do. He also analyzes letters of recommendation and request, and looks at the importance of face in daily activity. By applying sociolinguistic theory in this way to so many letters, Hall is able to offer a persuasive picture of political negotiations and the strategies of aristocrats during the late republic." --CHOICE

Given the necessity of considering politeness in so many aspects of our professional lives, Jon Hall's book on politeness in Cicero's letters should find a wide audience.... this philological study written in an easy yet academic style.... Overall, Hall has written an informative and rewarding book.... this book nevertheless succeeds in illuminating a relatively uncharted aspect of Cicero's correspondence, and as such it ought to find its way onto the reading list of anyone interested in Cicero's letters or the politics and social interactions of the Late Republic."--Jonathan P. Zarecki, Bryn Mawr Classical Reviews